Spring-gear.



Patented. Apr. 15, 1919.

INVENTOR.

Jafizz/FflQ/w r Y ATTOR Y J. F. O'CONNOR.

SPRING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB 16, I918.

curios,

aonurhozcou-uon, or cnrclieo, iLLiNoIsfAssrGnoR r wIL IAM H. MINER; or cHAz'Y,

' ,NEwYoR V sw m- EAR- To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that L fJor'ruiFfOConuon', a citizen of the Ilnite-dStates, residing at Chicago, inrthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spring-Gears, of

which the following is a full, clear, concise,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in spring gears.

One object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple arrangement of tandem spring gear for railway cars, which tandem gear may be conveniently located in the relatively short spacing now utilized for friction gears. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a tandem spring gear in which the use of a thimble in the yoke is avoided and also wherein the ordinary stop lugsmay be used instead of the more expensive and heavier cheek plates.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal, sectional view of a portion of arailway draft rigging showing my improvements in con nection therewith. Fig.2 is'a transverse, vertical, sectional view, taken substantially ,on'the line 22 of Fig. 1. And Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the blocks employed inmy' invention.

In said drawing, 101O denote channelshaped center or draft sills of a railway car, to the inner faces of which are secured ordinary stop lu-gs 11-11 arranged in front and rear sets in a well known manner, the spacing between the front and rear sets of stop lugs being 24%, as illustrated in the drawing, which is the usual spacing for modern friction draft riggings and which, as is well known, is considerably less than the standard spacing between the front and rear sets of usual tandem arranged stops.

In my improved gear, I employ front and rear followers 12 and 13 between which the shock absorbing unit is placed and operatively connect the same with the draw bar 14: by an ordinary yoke 15, the latter having no central thimble, as will be apparent. All the parts are supported in any suitable manner as by the detachable saddle plate 1 6.

The improved shock absorbing unit includes a pair of springs 17-17, which may i Specificationof Lett'er sj iPatent. Patented Apr, j ApplicationfiledFebruary16,1918. Serial rim-217.509.

be oflthe so -called class G type; and a 1 pair of blocks 1818. Each of the blocks 18 has an outer end :lQ adaptedto bear againste the. adjacent follower, :a; curved spring seat 20 extending longitudinally of the block, and an inward extension 21 adapt: ed tobear against the end of the spring in alinement therewith. The end 21 is extended laterally so as to bear the full width of the spring bymeans of a triangular extension 22 suitably braced by a web 23, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1. and 3. The two blocks l818 are arranged as shown in Fig. 1, that is, one on each side of the gear and the spacing between the inner ends 21 and the opposed transverse shoulders 24: is made equal to the permissible movement of the gear or compressionof the spring. In addition to the foregoing, each ofthe blocks 18 is Provided with a cylindrical lug or extension 25 at its inner end on which is adapted to be seated the correspondin spring.

As I will be evident from t e foregoing each block 18 forms a spring seat and guide for one spring and acts as a thrust or column member against the end of the other spring, the two-springs being 'ofi'set laterally. Over-compressi'on of the springs is prevented by the integral limiting stops formed on the blocks, as hereinbefore described, and it is evident also that the extensions or lugs 25 may be of such length as to engage the opposed followers 12 and 13 simultaneously with the engagement of the walls 21 and shoulders 24 of the blocks.

The offsetting of the springs and blocks permits of a short tandem gear, and at the same time eccentric resistance to the pres spring is comparatively near thecenter line of the gear. The blocks 18 may be cored, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 3, to decrease the amount of material required, while at the same time leaving all the strength necessary. It is also apparent that the blocks support the springs without the necessity of employing separate members for this purpose so that the entire shock absorbing unit is comparatively cheap to manufacture and eliminates many of the difliculties heretofore encountered in the use of the usual type of tandem spring gears wherein the yoke, has required an intermediate thimble. 1

I claim:

In a tandem spring gear, the combination with draft sillshaving front and rear sets of stop lugs and front and rear followers; of a pair of oppositely arranged blocks interposed between said followers, each block having an outer end arranged to be engaged by the adjacent follower,- a longitudinally extending springseat, an intermediate transversely extending shouldered portion, and an inner transversely elongated-end reinforced by a diagonal bracing W311; and tandem arranged springs laterally offset from each other, each spring being seated in the spring flopiel 'oi this instant piay be obtained tor-five cents each; by addressing a; commissioner 0123MB,

t of one block and itsinner end en-gaging the inner end of the other block, a portion of; the transversely elongated inner end" "of each block being in line with the intermediate transverse shouldered portion of v the otherlolock and normally spaced therefrom,

said blocks being arranged to come intocom tact upon actuation of the gear-"to thereby limit the compression of the springs.

' In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed '7 my name gthis. 7th 'd-ay'of-Feb.,191'8. l i

7 Washington, D. 0. 

